Queen of Hearts
by Jade-Kinneas
Summary: Jill is living in the Hargreaves household as the recent murders catch her interest. Women with crossed shape scars across their throats. The killer's calling card is the simple red queen. Jill is forced to face the dark, charming, and sexy Count Cain i


Disclaimer: Count Cain is not mine, although I wished he was. He and the others are creations of Kaori Yuki. I only own Jillian Willsting.  
  
Count Cain Hargreaves: 17-year-old youth  
  
Lady Jillian Willsting: 15-year-old youth  
  
Merryweather Hargreaves: Cain's 10-year-old sister  
  
Riff: Cain's most faithful servant  
  
Book I: Jack and Jill  
  
Chapter I: Jack and Jill  
  
Chapter II: Queen of Hearts  
  
It had been almost a week since the 'Willsting Tragedy' as the local newspapers had named the murders, the murders of Charles Arbunkle, Gretchen, Jack, and Sophie Willsting. Charles having been founded in one of the upstairs bedrooms, shot to death.  
  
Lady Gretchen sprawled across one of the many flowerbeds, her neck broken. Jack and Sophie being discovered at the bottom of cliffs. Their mingled and smeared bodies lay side by side from where they had managed to kill one another.  
  
The entire household dead, except for Jill that is; poor little, lonely Jill. If Sophie and Jack hadn't of killed each other, she would have been at the bottom of the cliffs instead. With thanks to Cain for mentioning a will, she had been spared.  
  
They both thought that he had made it up until Jill received a phone call from James Arbunckle, her cousin. Who told her that there really was a will! Naming her at the end of the line for control over the Willsting estate.  
  
But since Jill is still a minor she must be under the care of one who is the legal age. If she doesn't find someone, she'll be put under the care of James and everything will go to him until she's the proper age. Jill won't stand for this as she places herself in the hands of the Hargreaves family.  
  
Cain only agreed because he didn't believe Jill would survive him very long. But to his surprise she had already been here for five weeks and she didn't even hint at being unhappy. Merryweather at first didn't like Jill, but after a few days she became good friends with her.  
  
This is where the story picks up. It was a warm sunny day as Jill walked outside. Dressed only in a white dress shirt and gray pants. She rolled up the sleeves while walking around behind the house. She noticed Cain sitting on a stone bench, a chicken in one hand, and a small blue vile in the other.  
  
Curiosity getting the best of her she carefully went up to him. He didn't seem to notice her, or if he did. He didn't acknowledge her. He took the needle that lay beside him and withdrew some of the liquid from the blue vile.  
  
"What are you doing with the chicken?" She asked breaking the silence  
  
He stuck the needle into the chicken, injecting the liquid. "I'm testing out one of my newest poisons." The smile that was on Jill's face slowly faded, "What do you mean 'testing' out your newest poison?" Cain looked up to her blankly. "What about that don't you understand?"  
  
Jill looked at him and laughed nervously, "I understand what you said, but I'm just curious why you're using a chicken." Cain smiled at her; she became very nervous then. She didn't like that smile. "Well if I had asked to use you, would you have agreed?"  
  
"NO!" Jill glared at him angrily as she started to grow nervous. Cain turned his attention back to the chicken, "That's why I'm using the chicken." Jill sighed rolling her eyes. Cain glanced at her without looking up. "But it doesn't seem like it's reacting to the antidote. It should be, unless..." Cain's voice faded off as he caught Jill's attention.  
  
"Unless?" Cain looked up to the sky as if thinking. "Unless this isn't the chicken I had yesterday." Jill fought for control as she recalled dinner the night before. "We had chicken last night." Jill was on the verge on hysteria.  
  
"Ah, yes. So we did." Cain chuckled to himself placing the needle down. Jill looked like a lifeless doll for a moment. "Well then, I guess I'll be able to use you after all." Cain slid his cool fingers down Jill's cheek. Jill frowned as she slapped his hand away.  
  
"Don't you dare touch me with those poisonous hands!" Jill's blue eyes blazed wildly before she turned walking away. Cain looked at her in a calm manner, "Why Miss Willsting, is something wrong?" "I feel sicken by your repulsive touch and experiments. I'm going inside!" She yelled without turning  
  
She went to the kitchen fuming. Riff was inside preparing tea for Cain and her, and a cup of apple juice for Merry. Merry was sitting at the table with a piece of cake in front of her, waiting. It took about a day or so, but she was finally on good terms with the girl.  
  
Merry looked up at her and smiled, "Oh you finally came back in." Jill previous mood disappeared with one glance at Merry's happy face. "Yes. I was growing bored outside." Jill took a seat beside the child as she looked to Riff and smiled.  
  
"Hello Riff." Riff turned to her with a smile, "Hello Miss Jill." Jill sighed and looked at him. "Riff, how many times must we go over this? Just call me Jill." Jill knew she was wasting her breath, but she wanted Riff to be informal with her.  
  
"I know Miss Jill, but I prefer to address you this way. You are now Lady Jill Willsting. I'd feel like I'm being disrespectful if I did not address you as Miss Jill." Jill gave out a sigh of defeat. She'd never win this fight. Riff went back to the tea as Jill picked up the newspaper.  
  
She began to scan over the articles until one caught her interest. "The Queen of Heart Murders.."she murmured to herself. Riff placed the tea on the table with some sort of biscuits as he went off to fetch Cain. Jill took a sip of tea as she started to read the article.  
  
"Every victim was a woman about twenty years of age. All had their throats slashed, with a cross-shape slash, and hands bound by a silk handkercheif. A queen of hearts card found resting on each one's forehead. Latest victim of the murders is Ava Colsin. Her body was discovered in the alley behind Joslin's Bookstore, by Andrew Joslin." Jill's interest was at its peak as she nibbled on a biscuit.  
  
This was the fourth murder in the last two weeks. Jill's mind started to work over the details and all. Her thoughts were interrupted when Cain sat beside her to the left. Their eyes met briefly before Jill stood and looked to Riff.  
  
"Thank you for the tea Riff, but if you'll excuse me I have to make a stop in town." She started to leave when Merry's voice piped up. "And just what do you plan on doing in town?" Jill turned worriedly to the upset Merry. She was frowning at Jill evilly.  
  
Jill laughed nervously, "Oh nowhere special, just the book store." Merry placed her hands on her hips, "You promised me we'd make sweets today!" Jill went to Merry placing a hand on the child's head. The promise becoming fresh in her mind: she smiled lovingly at Merry as she patted her head.  
  
"I'll tell you what. You come with me and I'll buy you some sweets in town and we'll make our own later. What do you say?" Merry's eyes lit up with happiness. "I want strawberry cake!" Jill nodded taking hold of the girl's hand. "Strawberry cake it is." "And brother Cain too!" Jill's face fell, but she quickly recovered before Merry noticed.  
  
"I don't know he might be very busy.." Jill was trying to hint that she didn't want him to come, but Merry was too busy pulling on Cain's sleeve to catch it. "Big brother, come with us, please!" Merry begged. Cain smiled at her, "Okay Merry." Jill rolled her eyes heading for the door.  
  
"I'm going to change." She hurried out of the kitchen before anyone could get a good look at her face.  
  
Cain smiled after her darkly. Jill just about stomped up the stairs going to her room. She changed into a royal purple dress with a black ribbon tied under her bust. It fell off her shoulders slightly as the sleeves were close to her arms and began to flare out at the elbow. Black ruffles underneath them and at the bottom of the skirt.  
  
Her hair was brushed back and a purple rose band fastened around her head. She went down stairs to the waiting Merry and Cain. Jill took hold of Merry's hand, as Cain looked her over several times. Soon enough they were on their way into town. Jill prayed Cain would behave and not provoke her, but she somehow found that impossible.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When they went into the bookstore Cain and Merry disappeared in the mystery books as Jill took the opportunity to talk to the owner. Andrew Joslin was a man in his late thirties with thinning brown hair and a lopsided smile. His eyes were emerald green as they crinkled up when he smiled. "Ah good day Miss." "Good afternoon to you too Mr. Joslin." Jill nodded. "Can I help you with something?" he gave Jill his lopsided smile. "Yes, actually you can. Tell me, what can you tell me about the woman you found." The man's smile faded, as he turned pale.  
  
"Now why would you want to know about something like that?" Jill laughed slightly. "I'm very interested." The man looked unsure but he told her everything he knew. "There was a rumor that she sold her body for a living on the outside of town. But I don't know." Jill smiled and nodded to him writing it all down on a pad. "I didn't really notice the body until I saw this earring. A real beauty, it was shaped like the sun with some kind of green stones." He said talking mostly to himself.  
  
"Thank you for that interesting story." Jill yelped when Cain placed his hands on her shoulders. Jill looked up as he smiled to the man. "How long have you been there?" Jill murmured nervously. He smiled down knowingly at her as he pulled her to him.  
  
Cain led Jill away from the counter to a secluded area of the store. "What are you up to Miss Willsting?" he murmured. She grunted refusing to tell, "Let me go. We're in public, people might get the wrong idea."  
  
Cain gave out a dark laugh, "As if the rumors haven't went flying when you started staying with us." He spoke flatly as he looked her in the eyes. Jill looked away when the gold of his eyes began to shimmer. She hated it when he looked at her; his golden-green eyes always made her feel uneasy.  
  
Which was why she avoided looking them directly. She failed a few times the whole time that she been in the Hargreaves household, but she succeeded for the most part. "Stop it." She whispered closing her eyes.  
  
He clutched onto her shoulders placing his mouth to her ear. "Do they frighten you Jill?" He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, studying her startled reaction. "Look at me." His tone wasn't forceful; it was very light and gentle.  
  
Unwillingly she slowly turned her face back to him. Her dark blue orbs concentrating on his golden-green ones: when this was done he wordlessly removed his hands from her shoulders and left. Jill looked after him, even when he left her line of vision.  
  
She allowed her head to fall backwards releasing the breath that she had been holding. Her body began to shake at the thought of how Cain looked at her. Wrapping her arms around herself, she quickly exited the store heading for the teahouse that was a few feet away.  
  
She began to relax when she had taken a seat inside the quiet little building. She brought out her pad looking at the one little page of clues she had taken. Who was she kidding? She wasn't a detective, so what was she doing trying to track down a killer.  
  
She would need more than what the papers said if she planned on solving this case. And clues didn't just fall out of the sky into your lap either. "Excuse me," Jill looked up to see a woman standing over her. She was short with a heart shaped face that was framed by brown curls.  
  
Her hazel colored eyes held something that Jill couldn't place. Was it fear? No, it was more like anxiety. "May I sit 'ere please?" Jill nodded silently still observing the woman. "I'm sorry, let me introduce meself. Me name is Dorothy Rosen, pleased to meet ya." Jill nodded giving the lady her hand, "Jill Willsting." Dorothy shook her hand roughly as she smiled: Jill had picked up on her heavy accent when she started to speak again.  
  
"Yeah, well Miss Willsting, I couldn't 'elp but overhear in the book store that ya were asking about the recent murders. So I wanted to talk to ya because ya may be the only one who will 'isten." Jill's eyes lit up as she began to sing praise to the heavens. "Do you know something?!" Dorothy nodded as she leaned foreword.  
  
"Ya see the girls that been killed in the last few weeks were me friends. This is sort of embarrassing to say, but we use to work for this woman on the edge of town. If ya know what I mean." Jill's eyebrow perked up. She was talking to a whore, but that was okay she'd talk to whores before. Like Lady Hilsen, Baroness Shadsly, and few more of the 'so-called' nobles.  
  
Jill nodded her on as she continued to speak. "The last victim was 'er. The missus. Well up until about a few weeks ago we used to work together. Ya see this rich bloke bought me friends and me one night. He took us into one of these special rooms the missus had and locked us in." Jill looked at her oddly as she was afraid to hear more, but dared it anyway.  
  
"He took me friend Grace and tied 'er hands together with this really fancy looking handkerchief. It was white and made out of silk! Silk could ya believe it? Then he started with Grace, and in the middle of it all he took out this knife and cut open 'er throat, just like the killer's been doin'.  
  
We turned white like ghosts and tried to get out of there, but like said before the door was locked. So we just lost our heads and attack the evil bloke. Didn't know much bout fisticuffs so we just 'it em with things in the room. Antoinette took 'er earring and stabbed 'em in the eye. Such pretty earrings, they were green stones that made the sun and.." "What happened to the guy?" Jill interrupted.  
  
"Next thing we knew, the bastard's lying on the ground. So Antoinette bein' the only sane loon of us all took the keys out of 'es pocket and drogged 'es carcass to the window. Told us to help 'er toss em out it. Still being loons, we did.  
  
Took the keys and got out of there real quick, before the missus caught us." Jill had taken down all the key parts of the story baffled by the ending. Looking over her pad she looked at Dorothy, "So are you trying to say you think this guy is the murderer." Dorothy nodded.  
  
"We were on the bottom when we threw 'em out. So he must be live and kicking still. Furious with us too for what was done. He got everyone, but me and Antoinette." Jill put her pad down looking at Dorothy, "Could you show me were this happened?" Dorothy smiled and nodded. "Of course. The place is by this fancy, little pub owned by Old Man Wayes. Meet me there and I'll show ya the room. Our secret?"  
  
Jill nodded and smiled, "Our secret." "JILL!" Jill gulped looking at the door to see a steaming Merryweather with Cain behind her. Dorothy quickly stood. "Be there when the eleventh bell rings, no later please." With that Dorothy quickly brushed past the observing Cain and red, hot Merry.  
  
"Why did you leave without us? It's dangerous going around alone, especially with a murderer on the lose." Jill nodded standing up. "Yes, I'm sorry Merry, I promise to act more wisely. It's getting late, perhaps we should go?" Merry crossed her arms; Jill gulped as she started to sit back down, the promise of sweets coming back to her. "But after we have some sweets shall we." Merry smiled taking the seat that Dorothy had been occupying.  
  
Merry had strawberry cake while Cain and Jill just had tea. It wasn't until Jill took a sip of tea that Cain popped the question that she was expecting. "Tell me Jill, who was that woman you were talking to?" He said casually taking a sip of tea, his eyes on Jill. She carefully put her cup down ignoring his stare.  
  
"A childhood friend that found me." She looked up challenging his stare, "Nothing more." They continued to stare each other down, both refusing to look away. "Where is she from?" Jill turned to Merry in surprise. The girl finished with her cake was looking at her skeptically for an answer. It was a brother and sister team now she concluded as they both ganged up on her. "Ireland, father would take us there from time to time." She took another sip of tea coolly.  
  
Merry narrowed her eyes, "Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm stupid." Jill smiled finishing her tea. "I never said you were my dear." Jill stood up from the table starting to leave until Cain caught her wrists. "You said you would act more wisely, but here you are trying to go off on your own." Merry reminded her. Jill sighed, "So I did. So I did."  
  
They left the teahouse soon enough as they returned home. But unknown to them a shadow had been watching the whole time they'd been inside.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Since Jill couldn't sleep, she fixed herself some tea. Being very quiet she went into the hall and retrieved her pad and a pen. She looked up when she heard a creak, but saw no one around. Sitting at the table in the kitchen, she went over the details. She suddenly recalled what Dorothy had said about a earring as her mind traveled back to Mr. Joslin.  
  
She almost jumped from the table when she recalled his last few words.. She had been so busy listening to Dorothy about the incident that she didn't put that small thing in the picture. She quickly grabbed the paper as she began searching the articles. Hopefully it wouldn't be too old.  
  
Then she found it, a man's body had been found murdered outside of a pub on the outskirts of town. If she was right then she had to get to Dorothy right away before the killer found her. She wrote down the new information in her pad and stuffed it in her robe pocket getting up. She heard another creak when she placed the cup in the sink. This time it came from the door leading to the garden. Jill tiptoed to the window.  
  
She quietly peered out into the darkness; she saw nothing but the trees and plants. Visually annoyed with herself, she heaved out a sigh. She was about to leave until a shadow appeared at the door.  
  
With a frighten yelp, Jill flew out of the kitchen. She groaned when she bumped into a familiar form. She looked up into Cain's steady green eyes, with a nervous frown.  
  
"I don't suppose you were outside a minute ago."  
  
Cain gave her a puzzled look. "Should I been?" Jill frowned when she heard the humor in his voice. She looked at the clock in the hall, noticing it was almost time to leave. "Well not that it'll matter to you, but I just saw someone outside." Cain laughed and then smiled at her. Messing with a strand of hair that had fallen into her face.  
  
"You were imagining things probably. You do tend to have an over reactive imagination, you know."  
  
Jill pushed his hand aside as she looked into his eyes nervously, "Why do you hate me?" This caught him off guard, but Jill was too busy talking to notice, "Am I not pretty enough for your taste? Too pretty, perhaps I'm too fat? But then I may be too thin. Or maybe because I'm just me, Jillian Willsting."  
  
Cain just looked at her with his calm golden-green eyes. Jill felt like running away from those eerie eyes. But she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing that. "Well? Tell me something here! I ran out of answer a long time ago!"  
  
Cain just laughed and shook his head, while he studied the flaming Jill. "You know you're no different from most girls. You all have the same problem, there's nothing more to you." Jill blinked, not sure if she had heard right.  
  
"You dress up and make up your face. So when you go around in front of others, you'll be acknowledged as a lady. You don't show your true self, you just cover it up. As you say it's for the honor of your family's name." Jill was deathly quiet while he talked, her eyes growing darker.  
  
"What, was I suppose to feel sorry for you and fall in love with you? Let me guess you want the family fortune right? Do you actually think I would want such a weak..." She slugged him; Jill brought her fist back and let him have it. What he said, no slap would do.  
  
The attack knocked him backwards, being caught by surprise he fell to the floor. Jill's eyes had turned to a green shade as she towered over the dazed Cain. She was furious as she looked down on him.  
  
"Who do you think you are? " that was all she could get out at first, but more came. She laughed shortly, her tone full of cruelty and anger. "You don't know anything about me, and you sure as hell don't understand me either.  
  
I could personally careless about your family's riches, and power! You say I'm weak, that there's nothing more to me. Well what about you? You spend all your time with your precious poisons and death! Tell me, when was the last you actually, truly smiled? When you're around Merry and Riff you make the gesture with your mouth, but that's it. It's nowhere else, not in your eyes. And if you actually had a heart it wouldn't touch there either!" Jill wasn't talking anymore, she was yelling.  
  
Jill was too pissed to stop or to care. Tears made tracks down her face as he bowed his head; She was hitting too many nerves near home. "How do I know you have no heart, it's not too hard since you can't see why I wanted to stay with you. So I'll tell you why!" Jill's yelling had successfully aroused Riff as he made his way down stairs. He stopped when the two young nobles came into sight.  
  
"Because when I was in need of help, you were the only one who gave it to me. That meant a lot to me. As I would be forever indebted to you, for I owed you my life! But you just insult me by calling me some kind of money grubbing, whore! What's wrong with you, do you just want people to hate you? So you'll be alone?" Jill stopped shortly with a cold laugh, "What am I saying you are alone! You'll always be alone!"  
  
"MISS JILL!" Riff yelled coming down to them. Jill looked up with her tearstain face smiling sadly. "Hello Riff. Sorry to wake you with my weakness. I'll just be leaving now." Jill inched closer to the door removing her robe to reveal that she was dressed in guy clothes again. The robe fell in a heap, her pad falling to the floor.  
  
"So if you don't mind could you pack my things, I'm going to be in the care of my cousin James and his family." Jill gave out a sad laugh as Riff went to the unmoving Cain. "They'll probably kill me as soon as I get there. Since I'm not really loved no one will care when they kill me. Right Cain?" She said weakly looking at him as he brought up his head.  
  
She smiled sadly looking at Riff who was now starting to stand; she put her back against the door grabbing the knob. "So you don't have to pack my things, just throw them out on the street. Maybe some beggar will feel sad for my passing, but I doubt it." Jill's voice cracked on the last word. Without looking back she threw open the door, running out into the night.  
  
Riff went after her as Cain was brought back to earth by her last few words. That wasn't the Jill that had been living with him up until that day. She loved life and she never gave up on it, until he gave her a reason to. Did it really matter what he thought? Yes, it did, because Jill liked him. Because she was like him, that's why they weren't really alone.  
  
Because they had the each other to understand: even though they tried to fight it, they knew how the other felt and worked. They even knew how to hurt each other. Which they had just did, because he started it, as she finished it. But she was wrong about when he smiled, because he only would truly smile for Riff and Merry. He was also wrong about her reasons for staying with him.  
  
When he met her he had two stitches that held together his healing heart from his father. Riff was the first stitch when he became Count, and Merry the second. But by meeting the young mistress of the Willsting family he had received a third stitch.  
  
Jill had received likewise when she came to live with them, but he had just managed to rip all stitches from her heart as she ran out to meet death this night. He frowned noticing her pad on the ground. He got off the stairs picking it up flipping through it.  
  
Riff came back in, "Master Cain." "Riff, get the car." He said stopping his servant. He looked up from the pad to the startled man. "We have to get our dear little Jill before she goes tumbling after." Riff nodded with a smile going for the car.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dorothy stood waiting in front of the pub nervously messing with her hair. It was almost eleven she noticed. She kept looking around at every little sound around her. She was going to leave if that Jill girl didn't get there soon. She began to tremble looking at the water not too far away. She'd hate to fall in that, even if it was waist deep.  
  
She began to walk around when she bumped into a shadowy figure. Dorothy tensed up until she looked at the face. "Ey! How ya doin'!" The figure said nothing as it wrapped a rope around her throat. Dorothy let out a scream before her air was blocked off. They struggled around as she clawed at the person's face. Her vision started to go dim when she felt air going back into her lungs. She hit the ground with a hard thud as she looked up to see Jill smacking the attacker with a piece of wood.  
  
The shadow knocked her backwards as she grabbed onto its coat. They both toppled over to the ground. Dorothy felt too weak to run so she went for the next best thing. Screaming. She screamed as loud as she could, hoping someone would hear her.  
  
She stopped when she saw a car. The shadow started to strangle Jill as she put her elbow in their face. They cried out as they smack her across the face with a foreign object she fell backwards, but not before she grabbed hold of the figure.  
  
They fell into the water, as Jill was half conscious. Jill wasn't aware of what happened next, but she did hear someone calling her name. But she soon gave in to the dark oblivion.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Jillie." Jill's heavy eyelids began to stir as she started to open her eyes. "Sophie?" she called uncertain. "No, it's Dorothy." Jill opened her eyes as she made them focused on the woman who sat on her bedside. Sure enough it was Dorothy with her heart shaped face and curly brown hair.  
  
She started to sit up as she was caught in a hug from behind. She looked over her shoulder to see Merry. "Jill, you're finally awake." The girl said happily, but pulled away. "Didn't I tell you it was dangerous going around by yourself, especially with a killer on the lose." Merry scolded.  
  
But Jill didn't care, she was happy to see the child. Dorothy hugged Jill too a smile on her face, "I owe ya a lot Jill, not only did ya save me life, but ya caught the killer." Jill hugged her back gently. Her arms felt sore. "It was Antoinette wasn't it." Dorothy pulled back with a nod.  
  
"But why?" Jill leaned back as she felt a sharp pain shoot up her spine. "Because the man died. I guess she was afraid she'd hang because someone would talk so she killed the madam and almost did away with all the other accomplices. But I call it a accident, don't you Dorothy?" Jill said with a smile.  
  
Dorothy smiled and nodded back. The door opened up as Riff stepped in, "Ah, Miss Jill. Glad to see you awake." He went over to her feeling her face and wrist. "You had a high fever earlier, but it seems to be going down." Jill grimaced when pain shot across her forehead. "Could I have something for the pain?" Riff moved her bangs back into place, "Of course." Dorothy tucked the covers under her chin.  
  
"Get better, ya here." Jill smiled at her. "I'll try." Dorothy nodded looking to Merry, "I think we should leave 'er to rest." Merry got off the bed as she gave out a reply of agreement. "Goodnight Jill." They left as Jill began to drift off to sleep.  
  
She awoke when she felt a cool hand running across her face. She smiled, her eyes still closed, she knew who it was. She took hold of the hand placing a kiss on his knuckles. "Thanks again Cain." She murmured. She wanted to look at him, but her eyes felt even heavier from the drug that Riff had given her. He seemed to understand as he placed a delicate kiss on both of her closed lids.  
  
"You have to get well soon, Mr. Arbunkle has summoned you." Jill laughed placing his palm against her face. "It'll be fine as long as I have you guys." Cain smiled at her. Kneeling down he kissed her making her breath catch in her throat. He smiled at this, "It won't matter, you're stuck with me forever more my dear. You've been touched by my curse."  
  
Jill laughed at this, "Oh yes the Hargreaves-Willsting curse. You do realize there's only one way to break these curses." Cain perked up an eyebrow as he played with Jill's bangs. "And what is that?" Jill laughed, "We have to have a kid together." Cain stopped playing with her bangs, as he looked at her with a smile. "What did Riff give to you? And how much of it did he give you?" Jill began to laugh, "I don't know but tell him not to give me any more of it." Cain smiled capturing her lips with his again.  
  
She tightened her grip on his hand. "Stay with me, please. Protect me from Sophie and Jack." Cain held her hand, as he understood her request. "Good night Lady Willsting." He whispered. "Good night Count Hargreaves."  
  
Author Notes: Ah yes, the second chapter to book one. I hope this was enjoyable for I had a blast writing it. Oh and sorry if Dorothy's speech was too confusing. I was trying to show how her accent varied from everyone else's. Since we're in London I would believe everyone to have a British accent. For anyone who's seen Oliver, Dorothy is supposed to sound like Nancy. Sorry if they got a little mushy on the stairwell. The original one wasn't like that, but as I was rewriting a few things I just kept typing and I got that. I like this version better. Thank-you for reading, adieu. 


End file.
